Commercial rooftop A/C units, chillers and pre-fabricated penthouses have enclosures that house, protect, support and integrate the A/C and/or mechanical components into the building structure. These enclosures are quite large. These enclosures must be light enough to fall within building roof loading limits and seismic regulations, strong enough to withstand distortion under craning operations and wind loads, and maintain as low a profile as possible to minimize wind loads as well as the visual impact of the monstrous eyesores.
The conventional enclosure designs attach a paneled wall and roof structure, made from a plurality of mechanically connected flat panels and corner panels, atop a planar base platform. The base platform is made of steel deck plate affixed atop a frame of thick structural steel members and cross members. Since these huge enclosures must be raised onto a rooftop by a crane, distortion is a problem. Because of the square footage of the enclosure's sides, distortion from wind loading is also a problem. The base, to serve as the strength to unify the enclosure and resist distortion, requires thick structural members having substantial height below the deck plate, increasing the overall enclosure height and weight. This type of construction is in direct opposition with the roof loading/seismic requirements and the overall aim of a lowered enclosure height. Simply stated, height and weight must be minimized in these structures and strength must be maximized.
The present invention utilizes a roof and wall panel design that has corrugated or formed and bent “C” profile panels with increased structural strength. The present invention also has a corrugated panel metal base that eliminates the massive structural steel requirement. Rails that are adapted for the connection of the walls to the base, and the roof to the walls, allow for the strength of the enclosure to derive from its overall “unibody” style construction rather than from connection to a stout base. The present invention enclosure forms a strong torsion box that has a lower overall profile, reduced weight and increased strength.
Such design innovations as the present invention provides, overcome the pitfalls of the prior art and is a cost effective, simple solution that avoids the aforementioned pitfalls of the prior art.